Charles Leclerc edges out McLarens to claim pole position in Hungary
Championship leader Oscar Piastri and title rival Lando Norris had been expected to fight for pole but the McLaren men were left to settle for second and third respectively.
Leclerc saw off Piastri by just 0.026 seconds with Norris only 0.015 sec behind the Australian. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes.
McLaren had dominated all weekend at the Hungaroring with Norris fastest in both sessions on Friday, and Piastri – who leads his team-mate by 16 points in the world championship – quickest in the concluding running prior to qualifying.
But Leclerc pulled a mighty lap out of the bag to secure both his and Ferrari's first pole of the season.
'It is probably one of the best poles I have had because it is so unexpected,' said Leclerc.
In the other scarlet car, Hamilton has a record eight wins and nine pole positions in Hungary. However, a week after he qualified only 16th at Spa-Francorchamps, he suffered another setback when he was knocked out of Q2.
Hamilton has now been outqualified by Leclerc at 10 of the 14 rounds so far.
'Every time, every time,' said the British driver after he was informed of his early exit.
Hamilton emerged from his cockpit and walked towards the Ferrari motorhome holding his gloves in front of his visor to obstruct the full glare of the waiting TV cameras.
Hamilton's lowly grid slot looks set to extend his run without a podium finish to 14 races. Until this season he had never gone more than 10 races into a campaign without finishing in the top three.
Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes, the teenager Kimi Antonelli, has only scored once in his last seven appearances and he too failed to make it out of Q2, qualifying 15th.
Aston Martin have been woefully out of sorts this year and are eighth in the constructors' standings. Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll failed to make it out of Q1 at the previous round.
However, Alonso – who turned 44 earlier this week – and Stroll progressed to the final phase on Saturday, and will start fifth and sixth respectively. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen qualified eighth for Red Bull.
Alex Albon has enjoyed a strong season – he finished sixth last weekend – but he will line up from the back of the pack here after qualifying 20th and last.
Yuki Tsunoda was also eliminated in Q1 for the fifth time this season, leaving him 16th on the grid.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a few seconds ago
- Daily Mail
Complete carnage at Formula 4 race as FIFTEEN cars are involved in crash at iconic Imola circuit
A Formula 4 race at the iconic Imola circuit descended into chaos as a 15-car crash unfolded on Saturday. On a weekend where the world of motorsport turns its attention to the Hungarian Grand Prix, a number of budding drivers took to the track in Italy to gain valuable experience. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri spent time in Formula 4 before making their way to biggest stage and drivers aiming to follow in their footsteps turned out at the former home of the San Marino Grand Prix. Unfortunately however, what should have been a showcase of future stars the sport nearly ended in tragedy. During the second race of the day, and with 39 cars on the grid, carnage ensued after a driver failed to move when the lights went out. The other competitors attempted to avoid the stationary vehicle on the start line by swerving out of the way. All 15 drivers involved in this huge start-line crash in today's second Italian Formula 4 race at Imola are okay according to the series organisers. The race, which started with 39 cars on the grid, was suspended. — RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) August 2, 2025 Chaos unfolded during a Formula 4 race on Saturday as fifteen cars were involved in a crash A collision subsequently ensued involving several cars, with debris sent flying across the track. Yellow flags were immediately raised but the proximity of the cars led to a pile-up. Stewards then opted to suspend the race before abandoning it entirely, reportedly due to the track's noise curfew. Astonishingly, despite the carnage, none of the drivers involved are said to have been injured in the incident. The shocking scenes come just months after a similar pile-up occured during a Formula 2 feature race in Monaco. No fewer than 11 drivers found themselves on the list of retirements after an early collision between Alex Dunne and Victor Martins, with red flags waved to suspend the race.
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
'The vidiprinter might still be on holiday!': Sky apologise for THREE blunders in one Soccer Saturday game during rusty start to new season
Sky Sports were left apologising after there were three mistakes made on Soccer Saturday during the first half of a match. The season began for League One and League Two clubs with Barnsley facing Plymouth Argyle in the season opener. And things did not go to plan on Soccer Saturday with a number of errors made during the first half. Former QPR man Jamie Mackie had the job of giving updates from the game from the Sky Sports studio. The match was only five minutes old when host Julian Warren turned to the pundit for him to inform viewers that Caleb Watts had opened the scoring. However, there was confusion with the goal being ruled out due to a foul in the build-up. Another awkward moment followed when Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu put the ball into his own net. Presenter Warren said: 'Goal for Plymouth, we have heard this before. Does this one count, Jamie Mackie?' The scoreboard on the screen had put it down as 1-0 to Plymouth with a sheepish Mackie then forced to correct it. 'It is a Plymouth player that scored... but it is at the wrong end,' he said before the graphic was quickly changed. Warren was then forced to clarify, saying: 'It is Barnsley who are in front. Apologies for the slight moment of excitement for you Plymouth fans, only to find out you're behind.' And there was more to come as Barnsley then doubled their lead through Adam Phillips. Sky accidentally updated the score on the vidiprinter to say that it was still 1-0. And Warren, who saw the funny side, was again left having to clean up the mess, saying: 'I think the vidiprinter might still be on holiday, lying on a lounger with a couple of pina coladas.' Barnsnley went on to win the game 3-1 and fortunately the broadcast ran much more smoothly in the second half.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
One year on - What's it like being an Olympic champion?
You stand on the Olympic podium and the gold medal is placed around your something you have dreamt of your entire life, hours upon hours of hard work and sacrifice having led to the moment. There's the initial euphoria and celebration, but what happens when the world's cameras and attention gradually shift away from that moment?From work experience, ballroom dancing, a new Everest and dressing gowns, BBC Sport speaks to four Olympic champions one year on to see what the reality of achieving their dream really is. 'What do I do now?' Hannah Scott tasted gold in Paris when she won the Women's Quadruple Sculls for Team GB with Lauren Henry, Georgina Brayshaw and Lola Anderson in a dramatic who is also a world and European champion, said achieving her Olympic dream was "a bit of a whirlwind" but "the highlight of my life"."Since I've been 12 I've always had something in my head about winning an Olympic gold. I wouldn't even talk about it because I was so - not embarrassed - it's more you never know if you are going to get one or not. "It's not something I was certain about, it was just a dream."I've been figuring my stride out a bit since then. It's been so crazy, in the best way." Despite only being 25 at the time, Scott was faced with a big decision about her future that was not as straightforward as one might wasn't as simple as taking a break, then jumping in the boat and going again."I spent so long trying to go for that goal of winning an Olympic gold medal that when you no longer have that purpose, a lot of athletes talk about the struggle after. "You are kind of like, 'what do I do now?' and you do have to ask yourself the question if you want to go again."The Northern Ireland rower said it "wasn't an easy decision" and she even tried some work experience to get a taste of the office life."For your own sanity, you do have to move on from that and find the next thing. I'm happy and content with that and I'm happy being back rowing."But I had to give myself a while. I didn't get back into a boat until around Christmas time and that's when I found my stride again. "At the time, I wasn't sure what I was going to do but I realised I didn't like the office and I missed rowing. "I didn't think I would miss the early mornings but it turns out I do love routine." 'You can't go to the shop in your dressing gown' After deciding to return, Scott had a virus that ruled her out of the start of the year but she is set to return to competitive action for the World Championships in September, where she should be reunited with her Olympic team-mates in the Women's Quad. For Scott, it is just one of the many "ups and downs" of being an athlete."I don't think I'm finished yet. I want to see what else I can do. "It might be great, it might not. But I'm willing to take the risk to try because it's an addictive feeling doing high performance sport."Scott added the response from Northern Ireland was "beyond" what she thought it would be and she is now motivated to "do them proud" after their support. However, Scott jokes about one drawback that has come from the fame of her success."In ways, it was beyond what I imagined, and in other ways it is still another rowing race. Those things never will change. "I didn't realise how many people cared about rowing. I couldn't go to the shop any more in my dressing gown, which I may have done previously. "Now, it's like 'that's the girl who went to the Olympics and won the medal'. I didn't expect that. "Rowing my was dream and winning an Olympic medal was my dream, and I didn't realise how many people shared that celebration with me. I feel so lucky to have experienced that." 'I had done the whole journey for the right reason' Rhys McClenaghan completed gymnastics' Grand Slam when he won Olympic gold in the pommel horse final after a stunning routine. He is now, Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth has yet to compete since winning his Olympic gold exactly a year ago on 3 August 2024 and has been sidelined after recent shoulder surgery. "It's quite ironic how one year ago I was winning Olympic gold and recently I was waking up in a hospital bed," the 24-year-old said."It's been a crazy year. It's been a year of figuring things out, mentally. The reality is I've accomplished a lifelong goal and childhood dream that has fuelled me all these years."In that one little moment it was done. There's a still a lot of rejigging in my brain still."McClenaghan said winning Olympic gold "met every ounce of expectation" and "all the blood, sweat and tears were worth it for that little moment and that sensation"."You think about so many scenarios growing up, and the standout feeling for me was this - if there was no one in the stands spectating or nobody at home watching, and it was me in an empty room getting that medal around my neck it would have still meant just as much."For me, that shows I had done the whole journey for the right reason."But then I opened my eyes and looked around and saw the young gymnasts in the stands and thought about those back home, and I realised it was much bigger than just me."That was an interesting realisation for me. Having those two feelings hand-in-hand was a moment I'll never forget." Despite winning everything there is to offer in the sport, McClenaghan says he is motivated by "wanting to be the best"."I want to win a gold medal at every competition I enter," he said."But the main motivation for heading into training every day is that I get to do gymnastics. That's a realisation I've had over the past 12 months or so. "Even though my goal was Olympic gold, the main thing that brought me to the gym every day was enjoying my sport. "In a twist from gymnastics, McClenaghan competed on and won Dancing with the Stars - the Irish version of Strictly Come Dancing. It was a different experience from the pommel horse, but one he says was "pretty cool"."It was the perfect blend of doing something different and challenging myself, but also having those similarities with sport, but I'm not a retired dancer" he winning gold, he has travelled around Ireland and visited various gymnastics' clubs to speak to the stars of the future."I knew how big winning an Olympic gold medal was to me growing up," McClenaghan said."I'm now in a privileged position to inspire and I don't that responsibility lightly." 'It was better than I thought it was going to be' Daniel Wiffen made history in Paris when he became the first athlete from Northern Ireland to win a gold medal in 36 years when he won 800m freestyle gold in the pool. It kickstarted a historic run of four gold medals at the Games as Jack McMillan, Scott and gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, who had surgery on a shoulder injury last week, all had successWiffen, who also claimed 800m and 1500m gold at the World Championships before the Games, said being Olympic champion "was actually better than I thought it was going to be"."I didn't really think anyone would care that much when I won Olympic gold. Looking at Tokyo, I know it was the Covid Olympics, but I feel it wasn't covered as much. "But Paris was insane. I remember walking down the Champs-Elysees after the race and I could't take a step without people stopping me. "Even people recognising the Olympics 12 months on, it's great to see the sport moving forward and it will stay prominent every year going towards LA, and people will be looking out for athletes at the World Championships or other competitions."Wiffen said people who had taken up swimming because of him, even on a casual basis, had "changed his mindset" and people getting behind the sport is "amazing". The 24-year-old took time out of the pool after the Games to travel around Asia, but attentions soon turned to defending his two World titles."I'm quite a confident person, so as soon as I came back from Paris I had already written down my goals for the next season," he said before the Championships in Singapore."It was what I needed to do to win gold at the next World Championships, and what I needed to change." However his path to Singapore wasn't smooth and he was diagnosed with appendicitis just five weeks out from the Worlds, and the condition forced him to withdraw after the 800m final. 'Going again is a weird feeling' After helping Team GB win 4x200m gold in Paris, Jack McMillan took two months off to travel around Asia and got back in the pool around January after a "reset".The 25-year-old said Olympic glory "definitely lives up to the expectation" but "it's still something I'm trying to figure out"."When you get to that Everest, when you've achieved something you've been training for so long, it's a weird feeling. "Part of you is really satisfied but there's always something that you could still do more or you start to think about other things afterwards. "I think that's the competitive side and why we get to these certain levels. We are always striving for other goals and bettering ourselves. "Once I retire from swimming and look back on it, I can say I've won Olympic gold and achieved the fullest moment I could in the sport." Despite being Olympic champion, McMillan said the "most pressurised situation" is at the national trials, where you only get "one chance" to swim at international events later that year. "It's not like you get a smoother ride because of what you done last year. You start back to where you were and you almost have to prove yourself again. "That gives you more confidence because there's almost a fear of not knowing what you'll perform like because you've had time off."McMillan won World Championships gold for Great Britain in Singapore on Friday and, speaking before the competition, had said he had been "thinking of other ways to get better" after his Olympic gold."You've reached the best thing you can get in the sport, there's nothing better really. "It makes you reassess and think about what other areas I can get better, rather than thinking 'that's it done'. "I want to go for certain times for myself, and then medals at Worlds and Commonwealths will add to it. "It's not necessarily the end of the world if it doesn't happen, because I've already got the best thing you could get in the sport, but it's trying to find things deeper within yourself rather than just having the accolades."
